I once heard that the neighborhoods of Honolulu are like children. Each is special. Each is different. The qualities of each make up the family of the city now known as Honolulu. Sure, folks from each neighborhood squabble from time to time, but they’re still family.

Honolulu is not only the largest city on the island of Oahu (third largest after Hawaii and Maui), it’s where most folks live and where most vacations begin. If Oahu is The Gathering Place, in Hawaiian, then Honolulu, as is often the case, is synonymous with Oahu. Honolulu is where everything begins.

Let me do a quick run down of Honolulu.

9 out of 10 visitors to the islands come through Honolulu International Airport, just east of Pearl Harbor. All major US airlines and most international airlines have flights to Honolulu.

Getting from the airport to your destination is usually quick, painless, and not too expensive. Rental cars are available. There’s plenty of taxicabs waiting (depending on how large your plane was). There’s airport shuttles to and from the Waikiki resort area. And, of course, the Bus.

Don’t knock it. If you’re traveling around Honolulu on $10 a day, the $2.00 bus ride is a bargain.

In brief, Honolulu is covered with neighborhoods. Waikiki, the most famous, is where most hotels and resorts are located. The beach is there, too. That’s convenient for swimming.

Downtown is a different neighborhood and a few miles from Waikiki. In downtown Honolulu, there’s a local Chinatown. I hope you like Vietnamese food. There’s more Vietnamese restaurants than anything these days.

Honolulu’s downtown area is like any major metro area. Tall buildings. Plenty of people. Buses and cabs. T-shirts and shorts. Mini-skirts and muu muu. Motorcycles and bicycles.

Within just a few minutes of downtown you’ll find the Ala Moana shopping center. It’s one of the world’s largest. Macy’s on the east side. Sears on the west side. Needless Markup in the middle.

Overlooking Honolulu is the Punchbowl; the National Memorial of the Pacific. It’s a military memorial that is shaped, well, pretty much like a punchbowl. The view from the top (a five minute walk from parking) is breathtaking. And it’s free.

Additional Honolulu stories will cover the city neighborhood by neighborhood.

Want to know the best places to eat in Hawaii? Click over to Ono Dining for totally biased reviews on Hawai's best (and not so best) restaurants.